There is a tale about Helgafell, You have to walk around the grave three times and then walk up to the top of the hill without talking or looking around and then your wish will come true. We did all that so waiting for my wish to come true!!
Helgafell (Holy Mountain) is a 73 metre hill outside of town. There is a legend about walking up the hill quietly and making a wish facing east. I didn't actually see anyone do this. It's a moderate climb but you are rewarded with scenic views from the top along with the ruins of an old monastery.
The summit offers great views and a superior photo stop. While climbing remember the 3 steps :1) Touch the grave at the bottom 2) Don't look back your entire trip up and don't utter a single word3) At the summit look east and wish your 3 wishes Don't reveal your wishes or they will never come true! If your passing by you have to stop here!
Don't forget to start at the grave. You have to walk up in silence without looking back and thinking only positive thoughts. When you reach the top, enter the small structure and make three wishes. You cannot wish to bring any ill will toward another but other then that, wish away!
This large hill is fun to climb and you are rewarded by a gorgeous view. The legend and the wishes just add to the fun. We did it late in the afternoon after a day of rain so we had to watch our footing.
Nice old historic area. Surrounded with a small hill and a church. In year 1008 here lived a woman called Guðrún Ósvifursdóttir known from the Icelandic Vikings sagas. It is said she walk up that hill, never looking back and not spoke a word untill up on the hilltop. It is said even today if you follow her path up that hill and do not look back or speak a word you will be granted 3 wishe.! Nice area overall.
Helgafell is basically a large lump of rock sticking up out of the plain, and is only 73 metres high, but from the top you can see for miles. The view over the fjord is lovely, with all its little islands. When you descend, go to the lovely little church at the bottom and have a walk around the graveyard. There's an interesting memorial to Gunnar Salomonsson, an Icelandic bodybuilder and strong man, known as Ursus (The Bear) who died in 1960 aged only 53. His gravestone is a lump of rock which presumably he was able to lift!
My wife and I hiked up Helgafell on a cold, drizzly, blustery Sunday morning in early July. Better, warmer weather would improve the experience.There weren't as many ruins at the top as I thought, but the view was quite nice, especially towards the south with the church, pond, and mountains in the distance. The legend about making wishes (walking up in silence and not looking back) is quaint and certainly worth doing (waiting for my wishes still!). Be warned, the climb is a bit steep.
My wife and I hiked up Helgafell on a beautiful sunlit evening, and the views from the top are spectacular. If the weather is good and there is no ice, it is a simple ten-minute climb. The hill (can't call it a mountain) is quite sacred to the Icelandic people, and well worth reading to add some reason and respect to your visit.We could not find the grave, the proper starting point, as its location is not mentioned on the signboard at the base of the hill, which appears to be the place to start. Others have said it is by the church below. Next trip, I'll start there. This no doubt explains why our wishes have not yet been granted, and the lottery winnings have not arrived.In mid-May, the restroom facility on site was open. We were the only people there. While restroom facilities usually don't rank high on my list of items to review, this one--and the public facilities throughout Iceland--deserve special mention. Spotlessly clean and very pleasant. For anyone who has shuddered at the travesties that pass for public restrooms in other countries, you will be amazed at the care they devote to such things in Iceland.Definitely worth a visit and a hike, especially as the sun is going down. If you're in Iceland on holiday, and the weather is good, then two of your wishes have been granted already.
i like the mystical part of the walk to the top. if you walk up without talking and without looking back, you will have 3 wishes granted to you. i hope mine come true.it is a lovely spot but i would not drive lots of extra miles to go there.